Q AT THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS — Restaurant in Victoria

It was our first trip to Victoria and visiting Q was our main event for our anniversary. We have never left a review for other restaurant but we really didn't like the service and that was not a fine dining service at all.

We ordered food and the server asked us if we wanted to start with bread and we said sure. at the end they charged us for the bread which we didn't even finish it. We have been to many fine dining and that has never happened. Paying for the bread is not a big of deal here the problem was we were served the bread and we were just about to have a bite and they served all the main dishes. The situation seemed a lot hectic for everyone. We took a first bite of the bread when we saw the server and the chef to cut a slece of meat, we thought that wasn't ours then they were cutting it behind of us and that's when we realized that it was ours. We were chewing the bread and had to listend to the server what sauce they brought. that was not the right order and we were like we wanted to finish the bread we were already eating but main dishes were stiing there for a bit.

The server who was in charge of our table was giving us really poor attitude and service. While we were eating I saw him checking other tables he was handling pretty often and just skipped our table constantly. It is okay for us not talking to a sever or they don't bother us eating but this time that was totally ignoring siituation. However, that's not something we can or we want to complain here. The worst part of Q restaurant experience was the server came to take dishes away and I asked nicely"I really liked this mustard and the other server who came with chef said it was made with some berries and I don't remember what that was what is it? " He answered very sharply " This is mustard." I was very embarrassed and that was not even the answer i was looking for if he doesn't know that's still okay but the way he answered just ruined the whole time experience at Q and our day. I asked again that " I know this is mustard what I want to know is what is it made of? And he said " I don't know if you want I will ask someone" I said it's okay and he came back when we wanted to pay for the bill and told me what is was.

We didn't even wanted to be there anymore and that's why we skiped the dessert we wanted to order and left. All these situation is not we expected from fine dining especially Q the empress. If the server is new that's okay and not knowing enough information(wrong hour information was told about the bar from the server too) where he works that's understandable. We are 100% okay with that but the attitude is someting you need to think about and it doesn't matter how big your business is, nobody wants to have that experience.

We still paid a good tip and didn't say anything there to keep everyone's night nice.We went there on 11th of June, it has been more than a month and my partner and I are still not happy and the situation makes me sad and angry. I would like to give zero star for the service if it is possible. This is why we decided to leave review so Q can manage it...

I was invited by a family member to spend my 29th wedding anniversary with my wife and son for dinner at The Empress as her treat. I am a long time resident of Victoria and had been both for tea and brunch to The Empress on several occasions previously, but had not been in some time. The atmosphere was as expected, antique and posh. There was live music, a lady with a guitar was singing. Her talents I felt were rather average and volume rather much as it tended to overwhelm the conversation at the table. We were not sitting close by so it would have been much worse if we had been. There were jokes at the table about how much we would have to tip her to cease. The restaurant was about half full and the service was quite good, with staff pushing in our chairs and taking care with our needs. None of us found anything on the appetizer menu appealing, so we skipped them altogether. 2 orders of hen (chicken) were ordered as well as 2 tenderloin steaks. Prices of main course items were different than stated on their website, some higher, some lower. The steak was $75.00 each and I think the hen was about $40.00 each. We were served buns which were very tasty, we were offered more which we gladly accepted. I thank whoever decided to serve us soft butter instead of refrigerated and rock hard as in some establishments, makes it very hard to spread. My steak came and was cooked as requested and was quite tasty. One problem though. The serving of vegetables was absolutely microscopic! The serving of potatoes would have fit on a single tablespoon! The pea puree I had to inquire about because the serving was so small I thought it to be a sauce I was unfamiliar with. $75 should provide us with a decent amount of food on our plate. The steak was advertised as 8oz, but seemed less. Sigh…our main course took quite some time to come, but perhaps in this establishment it is expected that there be a great deal of conversation at the table prior to the main course coming. The four of us see each other very regularly so we struggled a bit to entertain ourselves prior to our main course coming. We all wanted the same thing for dessert, chocolate hazelnut torte, cost, $17 per serving. It was tasty, and well presented with a little chocolate “happy Anniversary” added, and some gold leaf, though the portion was on the small side. Final note, as we were coming up from the parking garage we passed through a large, long hall. The carpet was as threadbare as a $20 a night hotel, it is in serious need of immediate replacement!...

I had the displeasure of dining at Q Restaurant at the Empress last night, and it was nothing short of a catastrophe. From start to finish, the evening was marred by a series of egregious errors that left me questioning the competence and integrity of this establishment.

First and foremost, the service was abysmal. It was as if the staff were competing in a race to see who could provide the least attentive and courteous service possible. Our server seemed more interested in chatting with her friends seated nearby than attending to our needs.

To add insult to injury, my wife's request for a rare wagyu steak was completely disregarded. Instead, she was presented with a charred piece of meat that resembled a charcoal briquette. It's baffling how a restaurant of this supposed caliber could fail so spectacularly at executing such a basic request. Especially when the requested meal is the most expensive on the menu.

The seating arrangement was equally baffling. Despite the restaurant being nearly empty, we were inexplicably joined right next door with a self-absorbed couple more interested in gawking at us than eating, who remained loud and nosy throughout. The lack of consideration for the comfort and enjoyment of paying customers was painfully evident.

The pièce de résistance of this disaster was the wine debacle. I specifically requested a 2011 Barolo, only to be brought the 2017 vintage. When I brought this to the attention of the staff, instead of apologizing for the error, they had the audacity to attempt to charge me the full price of the 2011 bottle, which they never even provided. It was a blatant attempt to swindle and a shameful display of dishonesty. They wanted $245 for a bottle that is easy to acquire and retails for $70. I wanted the older 2011.

To make matters worse, the manager was summoned by our waiter to engage in a futile argument, insisting that because I accepted the newer bottle, I should be held responsible for the cost of the older one. This level of unprofessionalism and refusal to admit fault was beyond infuriating.

In conclusion, Q Restaurant at the Empress is an establishment that epitomizes everything that can go wrong in the realm of fine dining. The service was abhorrent, the food was a disgrace, and the staff's attempt to deceive and manipulate customers is unforgivable. Save yourself the agony and avoid this culinary nightmare at all costs. There are far better dining options available in Victoria that actually value...